University Establishment and Its Role in Urban Population Growth in Kenya

Abstract

According to Universities' Act 2012 in Kenya, every county of the 47 counties in the country should have a public university. Already there are 23 universities and10 university constituent colleges in 26 counties. Most of these universities are established in small and medium urban centres. Although the universities are being established in various urban centres in Kenya, the impact of these universities on the development of these urban centres is not understood. The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between the population growth in a university and the rate of population in host urban centre. Data was collected using document content analysis. Data was analysed using descriptive techniques such as graphs and inferential statistical techniques such as regression analysis, Spearman's Rank correlation analysis, student t-test and Chi-Square test. Findings of the study revealed that, first there is causal relationship between population growth in the universities and the growth of population in the host urban centres and secondly, that the annual growth rate of population in the host urban centres increased from 2.2% to 4.0% almost doubling after establishment of universities in the urban centres. The findings of this study are to bring awareness to urban managers on the impact of a university on rate of population growth in their urban centres and prompt them to devise strategies for sustainable development of these urban centres.